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Doug does A LOT of vehicle reviews. His channel is stocked with a TON of content. He can be a bit dry if you aren't used to it, but never lacking in information. There is a ton of detail and information on his reviews. And he covers a bit of neat little nuances that others overlook, in my opinion. Check out his Performante review below.

Link: https://www.topgear.com/car-reviews/lamborghini/lp-640-4-performante-2dr-ldf/first-drive
Wow, the Huracan Performante Spyder. Just the sort of car that car fans love, and you journalists love to hate.
I thought this was Top Gear telling you what we think, not you telling us what we think.
The Performante is one of the cleverest aero cars in the world, but this is an aerodynamically compromised version of it. It’s a 125kg heavier version of a car that’s been engineered to save weight. So you could argue it’s ‘impure’, and it certainly undermines some of its own logic. But it’d be wrong to say I don’t like it. It’s fabulous and adorable.
You’re not going to quote Nürburgring times at me?
Nope. It’s true the hard-roofed Performante is a phenomenon at the Nordschleife, doing a 6m52s and beating the hypercars. And sure, it achieved this partly because of its aerodynamic system.
But that’s not what the Spyder is about. It’s a road car. It’s got number plates and lights. And a ‘Strada’ mode
Which does what?
Like any self-respecting mode switch these days, it affects the throttle map and the adaptive dampers, and the front-rear torque split. The ‘Sport’ and ‘Corsa’ modes also open the loud valves in the exhaust system at lower revs, but of course that adds no real performance for the exact reason that full power happens only at high revs.
But this being a Performante, the mode button has two special tricks. First is the actively geared steering (optional but fitted in this car), so in the aggressive modes you move the wheel less for the same amount of steering lock.
Second trick is the active aero system. In the Strada mode, the front and rear aero are set in for max downforce. Whereas in the other modes they can be stalled, saving drag but cutting downforce. The stalling is done by small hidden flaps, which is faster and lighter than moving the whole wing, if less theatrical.
They can do that asymmetrically, to nudge the car into a turn. But that sort of aero trickery needs big speeds – track speeds.
And the Spyder’s roof?
Weatherproof when raised. And there’s a good reversing camera for parking. But that’s not why you asked. It drops at up to 30mph without you doing any more than holding the switch. At bigger speed, cockpit buffeting is well under control, so there’s no reason to raise the thing unless in a downpour.
With it down, you get even deeper into the sensation of speed the Huracan provides. It’s a road car, remember, so it’s about the sensation of speed, not the lap-timed measurement of speed. The rear screen, a small vertical glass panel, also operates under separate electric control, so you can keep it up as a wind deflector or drop for even more engine noise.
Tell me about the engine…
Lamborghini’s 5.2-litre V10 is hidden in the Spyder. The Performante coupe puts it on display under a transparent panel, all the better to enjoy the beauty of its gold-painted cast plenums. But even if it’s out of sight you won’t forget this engine. Performante-spec brings titanium valves, which are lighter and so can be made to lift higher, bringing more power. That’s 640bhp at 8,000rpm.
The Performante has an instantaneous and infectious vivacity. Even in the middle revs it hurls the car ahead. Then, just at the point where your turbo-accustomed fingers are involuntarily moving towards the ‘up’ paddle at 6,000rpm, this awesome unblown engine takes on a whole new magnitude of urgency and pelts onward.
It’s free and happy to spin at 8,500rpm, throttle butterflies admitting their air as predictably as atmospheric pressure dictates, and exhausts untrammelled by the muffling and inertia of turbines. The effect of this confection is an electrifying, affecting, unforgettable love song to natural aspiration.
Sheer performance is brutal: 0-124mph in 9.3 seconds. So what if the Coupe can do it in 8.9? Open cars always feel faster.
But open cars are floppier in bends…
Not this one, not really. Any flex or top-heaviness is so marginal there’s no way it impinges on the cascade of other massages the car is giving. It disposes of curves majestically, never losing its level or its tenacity. Oh, and in a damp second-gear corner it’ll edge its tail out if you insist, especially in the more rear-biased Sport mode. But the drama is tidy.
You won’t use Corsa mode on most British roads because it tightens the dampers so much. Also, I prefer the Strada mode’s lower-geared steering, because it means when your arms are knocked by a bump, the disturbance won’t jostle you into inputs that knock the car off course. The Performante’s springing is supple enough to breathe nicely over lumpy roads, but it hardly ever runs out of travel.
And in all this, the tactile sensations are gorgeous. You touch the tyres, knowing how their grip changes as first the fronts, then the rears negotiate a bump or dip. The engine wires itself into your nerves and your cochlea. With the roof down, the effects of motion and sounds redouble themselves.
Not just a rebodied Audi R8 then?
Nope. It’s sharper, louder, quicker, more powerful, shorter in the wheelbase, and with its own clever systems including the aero and steering, and it uses more advanced composites. The only Audi things you notice are the sat nav and the mid-rev, mid-throttle 10-cylinder harmonics, both of which are more than satisfactory attributes taken from a more than satisfactory Audi supercar.
The Lambo’s more expensive by miles too: £238,000, making it £100k more than an R8 Spyder. Exotic price for an exotic car.
Anything to complain about?
Yes, the fixed-back carbon-fibre bucket seats. They’re not racing chairs, they’re medieval instruments of torture. You’ll never walk again. Fortunately there’s a ‘comfort seat’ option.
This or the coupe, then?
Well, Lamborghini says that the active aero system still works properly in the Spyder. No doubt the car’s extra weight nibbles at straight-line and track speed. But if you want a road car, choosing the Spyder adds a whole other world of appeal.
9/10

Link: https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2018-lamborghini-huracan-performante-spyder-first-drive-review
2018 Lamborghini Huracán Performante Spyder
It’s not all Prada sunglasses, spray tanning, and paisley dress shirts.
JULY 2018 BY TONY QUIROGA
VIEW 97 PHOTOS
Drop the top of the Lamborghini Huracán Performante Spyder and you’re left with vastness above and a black-framed windshield ahead. Seeing out isn’t difficult, but the world is suddenly framed and defined by the little black box ahead of you. It’s sort of like peering through the viewfinder of a Hasselblad or the little rectangle that film directors make with their fingers when they’re trying to appear extra artsy. Looking at the world through the Huracán’s windshield changes your mood, edits out the irrelevant, and focuses your mind on what’s important.
HIGHS
Rip-roaring acceleration, response and grip outside the realm of most other cars, a transcendent experience.
LOWS
It can be hard not to bang off the rev limiter, screaming exhaust note combined with open-topped bodywork means the shy should not apply.
The pavement seems to zoom right under the windshield in a way that makes 35 mph look like real speed. Not that the Performante Spyder needs to resort to any trickery. It’s seriously quick, and unleashing the rage of the 631-hp 5.2-liter V-10 at its 8500-rpm redline never ever gets old. Plucked from the Performante coupe, a 3429-pound missile that will hit 60 mph in 2.3 seconds and punch through the quarter-mile in 10.2 seconds at 136 mph, the V-10 is a naturally aspirated middle finger to a world gone turbo.
VIEW 97 PHOTOS
Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road
We don’t expect the Spyder to be more than a tenth or two slower in most acceleration tests. A reinforced windshield, the electric folding soft top, and some new bodywork to accommodate the top add 276 pounds, according to Lamborghini. The engine, which sits under glass in the coupe, is hidden from view in the Spyder by a cover that protects the folded top from immolation. As in the coupe, a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic provides launch control that brings the revs to 4500 rpm before the clutch engages and the all-wheel-drive system does its thing. In this mode, the computer takes care of the upshifts and it’s goodbye, yellow brick road.
The transmission won’t upshift on its own in manual mode or when in Corsa, the most aggressive driving mode. Instead, it’ll relentlessly pound into the rev limiter. Having to do redline upshifts is something that makes track driving trickier since a perfectly timed tug of the column-mounted paddle is required to extract the most out of the Spyder. Do it early and you’ve lost some acceleration; do it even a split-second late and you’re in the rev limiter. Many brands offer the possibility of an automatic upshift at redline and are programmed to not perform midcorner upshifts, but this car makes you do the shifting. It’d certainly be a bit easier if Lamborghini provided shift lights on the steering wheel like Ferrari and BMW do, because in the first couple of gears, the V-10 spins like a boat engine without a propeller. Rev limiter, here we come.
VIEW 97 PHOTOS
On the roads that cut in and out of the Napa Valley in Northern California, the Spyder has the brashness of a despot who just got access to nuclear weapons. In Sport and Corsa modes, the exhaust flaps stay open at all times and the V-10 goes from merely loud to don’t-tell-OSHA. After a lucrative career at Kellogg’s, Snap, Crackle, and Pop appear to have left their jobs to tune the sound of the Performante’s exhaust on the overrun. Getting to hear the burning of every fuel molecule is why you buy the convertible version and put up with the roughly 13 percent price increase—the Performante Spyder opens at $314,654. If you’re uncomfortable drawing attention to yourself, the Lambo’s design and its screaming exhaust might be a bit much. Not to worry; it’s no more embarrassing than admitting you’ve seen Stomp, Nickelback, Dane Cook, or Coldplay. Or all four.
Sexy Specs
Driving fast in the Performante Spyder shrinks the universe into the space of that windshield frame. Although the steering column will occasionally quiver, there’s no other clue that you’re in the open version. Careful suspension tuning to compensate for the greater weight over the rear wheels makes the Spyder feel exactly like the coupe. Light steering efforts bring forth an easy and quick turn-in that masks the width and overall size of the Spyder. The front tires communicate their grip levels clearly through the steering wheel. The active aero ALA system opens and closes vents to provide downforce where and when you need it. There’s so much grip and performance that when you get back into a lesser car, you’ll find yourself squealing the tires around the first few corners before you return to reality. We’d call it the Go-Kart Effect because every time we drive a go-kart and get back into a street car the first thing we do is almost go off at the first corner.
The active aerodynamics, brake-based torque vectoring, and stability-control programming are especially impressive because all systems work in harmony. The Performante Spyder experience is perfectly cohesive and natural. Its gestalt is transcendent. And you thought driving a Lamborghini was all Prada sunglasses, spray tanning, and paisley dress shirts. Okay, well, it’s those things, too, but the Performante Spyder also has a soul-stirring greatness—and a windshield—that’ll reframe your world.
Price Starting at
$203,295

Link: https://autoweek.com/article/car-reviews/2019-lamborghini-aventador-svj-one-goes-eleven
2019 Lamborghini Aventador SVJ: This one goes to 11
Ostentatious and outstanding, 759 hp and loads of race car tech
When does 100 mph not feel fast? The moment you reach 175 mph at the end of the Estoril straight, that’s when. And when you do it again. And again…
Calling the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ fast is like calling a tornado windy. It is the most densely packed form of excitement on the planet, a V12-powered Carnival in Rio, an exclamation point on wheels. And that intensity starts long before getting inside and hitting the gas.
Lamborghini head designer Mitja Borkert (pronounced: meet ya) likens the SVJ to piloting a fighter jet and then goes on to point out design elements plucked straight from a plane. A fin on the end of the front splitter looks just like the tail of an F-16. Generally speaking, they call it the Y-shape and place that design element all over the car, inside and out, even in the taillights.
Of course, these details only become noticeable once you absorb the Aventador’s stunning, low and wide, and aggressive overall look. Hard angles and huge windshield rake give it a singular wedge shape, then various extrusions from the wings and scoops add both a sense of purpose and menace. I think a fighter jet looks a bit subdued by comparison. It’s all very alpha male.
And that suits Lamborghini fine, because to the Sant’Agata Bolognese-based supercar (and SUV) builder, it’s all about flair. Make a thing that makes you feel. Stir the pot of emotions to grab your attention and then hold it like a vise. And don’t fight it. Life is way better if you allow the SVJ to soak up your attention. Listen to its 6.5-liter V12 bark with minimal concern about the neighbors. Hear it rev to infinity and scream like an early '90s Formula 1 car.
1 OF 16The 2019 Lamborghini Aventador SVJ on the road
Speaking of, there’s more power here than in that era of F1 car. Also up 20 from the SV and 70 from the standard Aventador, the SVJ’s engine makes 759 hp at 8,500 rpm and 531 lb-ft of torque at 6,750 rpm. Powertrain engineers managed this by swapping in titanium intake valves, which close faster than the valves they replace. That closing speed change allows more air to get into the cylinder in the same amount of combustion cycle time. More fuel is injected as well and voila, more power. The SVJ uses the same fuel injectors as the SV, but it has a modified intake manifold to improve air flow. And it’s not just at the peak -- this V12 makes more power throughout the rev range.
And the amount of weight being pushed around is less than you might think, courtesy of the absurd quantity of carbon fiber used. The material is part of the monocoque, roof, engine cover, front splitter, rear diffuser and rear wing, among other bits. Also, the wheels are forged aluminum and save 10 pounds when compared to the set on the SV. Altogether, the SVJ weighs 3,616 pounds, according to Lamborghini, giving the SVJ a weight-to-power ratio of 4.8:1.
The Execution
From rest, 62 mph is just 2.8 seconds away; 124 mph only requires another 5.8 seconds to reach. No wonder a long straightaway gives the SVJ time to reach jetliner take-off speeds. The pull is immediate and forceful, enough to suck your retinas deeper into their sockets, the sheer shock of the matter interrupts breathing and, if you’re lucky, you collect yourself just enough in time to flick the right paddle, grab another gear and start the process over again. Shifts come fast and happen fast. In a weird way, this is another connection to '90s F1 as the SVJ uses Lamborghini’s seven-speed Independent Shifting Rod, or ISR, single-clutch automated manual gearbox. Lighter than a dual-clutch box (smaller too), when you’re at full-throttle shifts bang off with the immediacy of winning a Grand Prix. And all the mechanical sounds that come with it are immensely satisfying.
Lamborghini's 770-hp Aventador SVJ takes the V12 flagship to the next level
With such superfluous power, braking zones come quick, and at each and every one you feel thankful that the SVJ comes with massive carbon-ceramic discs, 15.7-inches in front, 15.0 in back, to whoa up progress. Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires provide plenty of grip to work with, and for the most part, the brakes perform superbly. Before going further, please refer back to the opening two sentences of this article. And to be fair to the SVJ, turn 1 is a tighter-than-90-degree, slower-than-60-mph corner. To have to scrub 115 mph in a few hundred feet, repeatedly, takes a lot of energy. That said, the brake pedal travel did get long and brakes did begin to fade.
Again, I’m sympathetic -- that’s a lot of heat to deal with. And generally, the car slowed with authority and pedal feel was consistently spot on, travel was correct to make trail-braking easy to modulate, but confidence in them was sapped just a touch. It’s like the one time in my life that I petted a tiger at a petting zoo. I knew that it was almost definitely safe, but, if it wasn’t, I’d have to deal with a whole lot of energy really fast.
Assuming a tiger doesn’t eat you before turn-in, the SVJ is a treat. Your butt sinks deep into the competition bucket seats that make it easy to both feel the car’s movement and not move at all yourself. The incredibly steeply raked windshield does make vision less panoramic than I hoped, but it’s still more than adequate 99 percent of the time. And the steering feels alive in your hands. Though a bit overly boosted, it’s hydraulically assisted steering, like the good old days, meaning you feel the road and all of its little eccentricities.
1 OF 29The 2019 Lamborghini Aventador SVJ in Detail
The SVJ combines longstanding race car kit and new technology. The dampers are adjustable, modern, but also mounted horizontally in the center of the axle and actuated via pushrods, keeping more of the weight in the center, like formula cars have run for decades. The exhaust is mounted high, which looks cool, but also makes room for a massive rear diffuser. That, along with a big front splitter and big rear wing, makes 551 pounds of downforce at 186 mph. But the wings can be “stalled,” meaning their effectiveness and drag is reduced with a system called ALA 2.0.
ALA is short for Aerodinamica Lamborghini Attiva; the 2.0 was added because this system was introduced on the Huracan Performante and upgraded here. The electrically actuated, computer-controlled system has channels in the front and back that, when closed, allow the front and rear wing to function as normal. Once opened, air flows around the wings in such a way as to reduce the amount of both downforce and drag on the car. Open ALA channels effectively mean a more streamlined and faster car. Great for straights. The system makes more downforce than before, hence the 2.0, and also pulls off something called aero vectoring. In the rear, only half the wing is stalled, which allows air to push down harder on the inside wheel in a corner, which is pretty darn slick -- not to mention rear-axle steering to aid further in back-end stability.
Video proof: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ owns 'Ring lap record
But you don’t feel any of that. You just feel response -- fast, immediate response. Any small wiggle of the wheel, brush of the throttle or tap on the brakes causes a noticeable reaction. Normal motions feel exaggerated in the SVJ. You have to consciously tell yourself, "Slow down your hands, slow down your feet." Or you have to tell someone else why you spun. Adapting to this car’s behavior, however, is like turning the volume knob of life to 11. Nothing but a screaming V12, blurred scenery and big forces pulling at your body in every direction. It gives you tunnel vision of nothing but awesome. It's singularity of purpose.
Lamborghini only gave me the opportunity to drive the SVJ on-track, but, yes, it is street legal. In fact, one of the driving modes is strada (street in Italian) where things calm down. Then there’s sport (or fun mode, as Lamborghini likes to call it because it’s easy to drift the car), corsa (race in Italian) and ego (a customizable drive mode -- adjust the steering, shocks and stability control independently of each other) modes. But frankly, I don’t see the point. Once you live life at 11, everything else is too quiet. Anything beneath full throttle results in slow and sometimes lumbering shifts from the ISR. And you notice it’s a bit hard to see out this thing and that the rear window is bifurcated by an air intake and otherwise limited by louvers. Drive it calmly and you quickly realize that 11 is the only reasonable volume in this car.
6 OF 7The 2019 Lamborghini Aventador SVJ being built on the assembly line
The Takeaway
Being a car of big numbers, price must be a part of that, and $517,770 certainly fits. Lamborghini is building 900 examples. What do you get for that money? You get the most perfectly flawed car on the planet. A car full of racing technology from a car company that for a long time rebuked racing altogether. It’s not bad to drive normally, but it is a touch unsettling.
The SVJ slaps subtlety in the face and looks good doing it. You cannot help but be impressed by the car's physicality and its ability to just make you feel good. Allow it to, and the SVJ will win your heart.